19 replies to this topic

[MSwiss]

https://www.facebook...mibextid=oFDknk

 

[Dave Crevie]

It's a STEM competition for grade and high schools in North America. The challenge is to take a chassis kit supplied by the organization, build it, and design a body to fit over it. The cars are fired down a drag strip using compressed air. The challenge is to design a body with a very low drag coefficient. The program is aimed at students planning to make engineering their careers. 

 

https://www.f1inschoolsna.org

 

https://youtu.be/aod...Xey95Gs8KNbaODK

 

https://youtu.be/nGg...rR7hC4736bCESfh

[MSwiss]

Thanks Dave.

 

I totally missed there is a guide wire.

[Thom]

Looks like the same type of air pump that I have for my pellet rifle. I pump it up to 2000 psi.

[Dave Crevie]

Just one of many school oriented STEM programs out there. Most have challenge events, or at least help you to organize your own. Just about the time I retired, I let myself get involved in the local school district's industrial arts debate. Most parents of students were opposing a return to an industrial arts program, which had been phased out over the previous years in deference to new sports programs such as water polo and badminton. They didn't want their kids to end up working in factories. A minor change in the school board had opened the door for schools to participate in STEM challenges, which in turn revived some interest in resurrecting the industrial arts program. They asked me to review a number of STEM challenge programs. This is one I found to be very good, since they provide a direct line to grants, either from the government or their own. Their levels of participation more closely matched where our kids were in learning. Plus it is endorsed by Northrup Grumman. It's shortfall is that it only covers to grade 8, so a more advance program will need to be found to follow it up.     

 

https://kidsparkeducation.org/

 

 

Another good one is this offering from TynKer. 

 

https://www.tynker.c...chool-students/

 

One of the activities in this program is the egg drop challenge, one I participated in at a local level back when it was called a science challenge. I used a piece of ladies nylon stocking to suspend the egg inside the box, making sure the stocking was pulled tight enough that the egg couldn't reach any of the walls. It worked. Thought I was pretty smart for a fourth grader.

 

As a country, we need to concentrate more on engineering and manufacturing. Manufacturing, (and farming) built this country, we need these industries back.

[Dave Crevie]

Mike, I think I see what tripped you up. The guide wire doesn't show in the picture, and the two students look for all the world like they are holding some sort of controller. I think they are timing their cars with stop watches or smart watches.

[MSwiss]

I didn't think it was any type of slot car.

 

I was just amazed the cars tracked straight.

 

I think the things the racers are holding are what activates the circled launching devices.

 

[Dave Crevie]

This video answers that question. Entirely different than the videos I posted. These cars are CO₂ powered. Maybe there are multiple levels of competition.

 

https://youtu.be/eUz...yLGY7_e6si5S5EE

 

 

This one shows how to set up their track.

 

 https://youtu.be/3xPTSjTzX5A?si=47qNxZojEZFZ7lun 

[Rob Voska]

Retired friend got involved with a high school robotics program.  They did some very interesting challenges.  One of our racers and his dad are involved at a different school and it's really interesting things they get to do.

[Dave Crevie]

What is important about these programs is that they set the kids on a path that will lead to college, and into industry as highly motivated new engineers. I had a next door neighbor kid that entered several engineering challenges, and would show me what they were doing. Very impressive. He went on to study at Purdue University, graduated at the top of his class. He now works for General Dynamics at their Electric Boat facility, that makes submarines. This is their newest product;

 

https://www.navsea.n...ers-to-us-navy/

[Martin]

Will they ever get to slot car competition to advance electric car design?   

[Dave Crevie]

Not slot cars, but concurrently with the stealth/impulse engine/fully autonomous airplane project Sean was involved in, Purdue also had an entry in the World Solar Challenge, offspring of the GM Sunraycer Challenge. The event is now global and sponsored by Bridgestone, and will be run in Australia next year. Some video of test days down there is in this attachment.

 

https://worldsolarchallenge.org/

[Bill Seitz]

Alpine Raceways in Helen, GA has developed a STEM program using slot cars to teach a variety of electrical, magnetic, and mechanical principals. I was at the raceway during one of these school field trip events in April. I believe Alpine had 12 schools visit this past school year.

[Dave Crevie]

There's room for an entry level STEM program for grade schoolers using slot cars. They would have to form teams to design, build, and compete with cars they made. Considering that most kids in my town are CAD literate by fifth grade, I would like to see them build something that, when finished, they can hold it in their hands and say "I built this". The closest thing is the Pinewood Derby, where kids are now designing the bodies for their cars in 3D modelling, and cutting them out in the CNC routers at the local library. But it is not STEM oriented. Still, a better use for the equipment then making pictures of flowers and kitty-cats, which is what the library classes teach. Or stickers for their skateboards. I've seen some of the Pinewood Derby cars, and am completely gob-smacked. Just need to get the schools behind it.    

[Martin]

Just to share my sons and my Pinewood cars from the 90s. 

 

Weight bias was super critical for speed.  

 

 

I learned you must try and keep equal weight on all four wheels on the downhill section.

 

 

...and build to max weight allowed, so make on the heavy side then adjust on there scales at the event.

Oh yea, and don't forget the graphite powder on the axles.

[Dave Crevie]

Kool cars. Typical of the 1990s while kids were still carving the bodies by hand. I think the rules were more restrictive then, and I think they should have been kept that way. Now that the kids are literate in 3-D modelling, and know how to load their CAD files into a CNC router, that part of building the cars is gone. Several years ago one of the neighbor kids developed a program to cut a dovetail pocket in the bottom of the cars, that allows the weights to be adjusted front to back just by loosening a set screw. 

 

Don't know if any kids near me are involved in Pinewood. Starting last summer, electric go-karts and mini-bikes have taken over the streets. Gets the kids outside. But over the winter, they discovered how to modify the controllers to take two batteries hooked in series. That doubles the voltage. These things are incredibly fast.

[John Luongo]

your so right, dave. very ingenious and imaginative.  sort of like "hold my juice box, and watch this".

[Steve Deiters]

When I first saw this post I thought it was referencing model products cartridge CO2 powered.  I believe they were a post-World War Two items.  Googled around and found these from a familiar name in slot racers-Monogram.

 

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[MSwiss]

Starting last summer, electric go-karts and mini-bikes have taken over the streets. Gets the kids outside. But over the winter, they discovered how to modify the controllers to take two batteries hooked in series. That doubles the voltage. These things are incredibly fast.

Seeing kids outside having fun is great but the electric bikes has given them a license to be sort of youth motorcycle gangs.

 

Not peddling, looking at their cell phones.

 

Last year after we first moved, I was cutting through toney Clarendon Hills about 10:30PM after using the kiosk at the Westmont PO.

 

I came across three 12 or 13 year olds on electric bikes with no lights, sitting on a dark residential street, talking to each other.

 

I saw them, no problem, and drove around them, but one took off after me to race my Cayman through Downtown CH and almost ran himself into a big cement planter that was jutting out onto street to split up the diagonal parking spaces.

 

When we screwd around with minibikes and go karts, we stuck to alleys and quiet factory roads on Sundays. 

[Dave Crevie]

 

When we screwd around with minibikes and go karts, we stuck to alleys and quiet factory roads on Sundays. 

 

Well, we pretty much had the run of the town. There were no laws yet regulating mini-bikes. I got a few noise tickets for no muffler. But otherwise, the police left us alone. It helped that my street ended at the end of my block. We got hassled more with the Go-Karts. Eventually we started riding in the field behind Lorenzen Shell.